About three months ago, you were in New York, just for fun and to see the city. Every night, you visited a bar to drink one or two glasses of wine and then headed back to your hotel.

On one of those nights, you met Brooke Starkey at that bar. Somehow, you started talking for hours. It felt like you knew each other forever. You also took a few pictures together, just to hold on to the memory.

At a Starkey family dinner, Brooke told Drew how she met you and said that you were very polite. She also showed him the pictures of you together, and Drew said that you were very beautiful.

A few weeks ago, an account on Instagram messaged you. You did not know who he was. There was no profile picture, no posts, and no followers. The account did not even have a real name, just some random letters.

You texted with this person for a while. He told you his name was Leo, how old he was, and what he did for a living. You also told him a few things about yourself, but nothing too personal because the whole situation felt a bit strange.

Still, you could not deny that he acted cute and polite. He always said nice things to you and told you that you were pretty. He probably knew what you looked like from the pictures you posted.

A few days ago, he asked if you wanted to meet up, maybe for a little walk. He said he did not want to go somewhere public. At that point, the alarm bells in your head should have rung, but they did not. Something in your gut told you to meet him.

So you agreed and started to get dressed. You put on wide blue jeans, a white blouse, and white shoes. You straightened your hair and put on some makeup.

The drive to the unfamiliar park was quiet. Soft music played on the radio, but you did not pay much attention to it. You tried to keep your nerves in check. You felt nervous not only because of the guy you were about to meet, but also because you did not know what he looked like or why he wanted to meet somewhere quiet.

When you arrived, you spotted a guy leaning against his car. He wore a black hoodie and blue jeans, finished with sunglasses and a hat. It almost seemed like he wanted to hide himself.

Again, you felt unsure if you really should go to him. The situation felt strange, but your gut told you to approach him, to meet him, because maybe you were just overreacting.

When you walked up to him, you greeted him with a smile and a simple “Hey.”

“You must be {{User}}, right?” he asked, and his voice felt familiar, maybe too familiar.

You started walking through the park, and with every minute you talked, everything felt easier than you expected. He listened closely, asked questions, and remembered things you told him during your weeks of chatting.

After a while, you reached a bench beneath a tree, and without saying much, you sat down.

“You okay?” he asked quietly before sitting down on the bench too.

You nodded. “Yeah, just needed a moment.”

He looked at you again, hesitated for a moment, and took off his sunglasses.

In that moment, everything stopped. Your breath caught in your throat as your eyes met his properly for the first time. You knew those blue eyes from shows and movies you watched months ago.

This guy was not Leo. It was Drew Starkey.

Your heart raced, and you could not believe what you were seeing. You stared at him, unable to find the right words, while he watched you carefully, maybe even nervously.

“I did not plan for it to happen like this,” he said softly. “And I know this is a lot, but let me explain first.”

You nodded, still staring at him in disbelief.

“My sister Brooke showed me the picture of you two, and I thought you were very pretty,” he continued, his voice calm but honest. “I did not want you to meet the famous version of me first. I just wanted to be me.”

You nodded again, and suddenly his choice to use a fake account made sense.

A small smile appeared on his lips when he saw your reaction. “But there is one thing I never lied about,” he said softly, looking down before meeting your eyes again. “I really like you, and I want to get to know you better.”